Copywriters Channel Enthusiasm

Question: If your client is enthusiastic about his product, but you’re not, should you write the copy?

In a perfect world, you would always write copy for products and services you’re personally excited about. But I’ve occasionally found myself in the position of writing copy for products and services that don’t get me excited.

Here’s the thing: Copywriters are hired guns. If you’re a copywriter, your job is to channel your client’s enthusiasm using the written word — and not necessarily your own.

This is where trust comes in.

If I’ve accepted a client, I trust he is being honest and truthful. And I trust that his enthusiasm is warranted. Just because I don’t have the same vision and excitement as my client doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t write the copy.

That’s why I say it’s the copywriter’s job to channel enthusiasm. And to do this effectively, you have to trust your client.

So as a copywriter a better question to ask is this: “If I don’t trust my client, should I write his copy?”

And the answer is clearly: no.

All good business relationships are founded on mutual trust and respect. So long as this foundation is in place, then you can easily channel a client’s enthusiasm (not to mention, his customers’ enthusiasm) when you’re writing the copy.

Obviously, it’s an advantage when you are excited about a product or service you’re writing copy for, but it’s not totally necessary.

In the end, so long as you believe the product or service has value to someone (although maybe not to you personally), then it’s perfectly okay to write copy to sell the socks off it.

-Ryan M. Healy